by Ty Tagami | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — President Donald Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ bid to become Georgia’s next governor, siding with his long-time ally ahead of Jones’ fight next year for the Republican nomination against state Attorney General Chris Carr.
In a post on his social media platform Monday, Trump credited Jones as an early supporter who had worked “tirelessly” to help his presidential campaigns, and he said Jones had his “complete and total” endorsement.
Jones’ campaign heralded the message.
“From day one, I’ve fought to advance President Trump’s America First agenda right here in Georgia — and I’ve taken plenty of arrows from the radical left for doing it,” Jones said. “But just like President Trump, I don’t back down.”
The endorsement will likely give Jones an edge against Carr in the GOP primary where the president’s MAGA base has repeatedly proven influential. Trump won 85% of the vote in his own 2024 Georgia primary.
Jones also has a big lead in fundraising thanks to a special carve-out in state law for a handful of incumbents like himself.
He and Carr reported raising about $3 million from donors during the last campaign finance filing deadline in July, but Jones pulled far ahead by loaning his campaign another $10 million. As lieutenant governor, Jones can raise unlimited sums through a “leadership committee” allowed under a 2021 law.
That law gives no such advantage to the attorney general, and Carr sued last week in federal court over the way Jones had used his committee. The State Ethics Commission dismissed a similar complaint by Carr last month.
Several prominent Democrats have entered the race. The Democratic primary so far features former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former DeKalb County CEO and state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.
